After a Friday that started with great expectations, Ferrari was brought back to reality abruptly in the Sprint qualifications of the Qatar Grand Prix: Leclerc and Sainz, who had dominated the free practice session with an impressive one-two, found themselves relegated to fourth and fifth position in qualifying. A heavy setback, especially in light of the tight battle with McLaren in the constructors' championship.
Leclerc and the return to reality: “FP1 above our expectations”
Charles Leclerc did not hide his disappointment after the qualifying session in Qatar: “I’m not happy, because when you give it your all and only finish fourth and fifth, it’s not great, considering how important this weekend is for us. For some reason, FP1 was way above our expectations, while qualifying was in line with predictions. We are back down to earth.”
Leclerc admitted that the results of the free practice had raised hopes that, however, did not materialize: “After the free practice we had some hope of doing better, and instead we did not succeed. If we look at the free practice, we can think we are fighting for the victory. If we look at the qualifying, no. For now the most representative session is qualifying, so we are not in the best position. But we never know: every time it is always different when the race arrives.” The weekend is still long but the challenge with McLaren does not allow for mistakes.
The challenge against McLaren and the weight of the constructors
The importance of the Qatar weekend goes beyond the single race. Ferrari is still in the running for the constructors' title, but the 24-point gap from McLaren makes any mistake potentially fatal. Sprint qualifying confirmed the superiority of the Woking cars, with Norris on pole and Piastri third, while the Ferraris had to settle for the second and third rows.
Leclerc is well aware of what is at stake: “It is clear that we must do everything possible to maximize the points. Every detail counts, especially now that the fight with McLaren is getting more and more intense.” The awareness of a unique opportunity pushed the Monegasque to put aside any internal tension with Sainz, as reiterated in the press conference: “We know that an opportunity like this doesn’t come along very often: we both have to do everything we can to try to win.”
A race to redeem
With the Sprint qualifying behind them, Ferrari now has the chance to redeem itself in the Sprint race and, above all, in Sunday's Grand Prix. The conditions at Losail, however, still seem to favor McLaren, and the work of the Maranello team will have to be impeccable to stay in the race.
“Realistically, this is going to be a difficult weekend for us,” concluded Leclerc. “On paper it doesn't seem to be our best circuit, but we are motivated to prove otherwise. We must aim to extract the maximum potential from the car in every session.”
Source statements: FormulaPassion
